Descrizione del progetto
Le piante potrebbero far nascere nuovi organi in base al proprio orologio biologico
Le piante sono dotate di un sistema proprio di cellule staminali multipotenti. Le cellule meristematiche presenti nel meristema apicale del germoglio (SAM, shoot apical meristem) sono responsabili dello sviluppo di tutti gli organi di superficie di una pianta. La creazione di organi (organogenesi) si verifica nel corso dell’intera vita di una pianta e viene modulato da determinati segnali ambientali, tra cui cambiamenti di temperatura e luce. Le piante, come gli animali, dispongono del proprio orologio circadiano, che funge da complesso responsabile del loro sviluppo. Clock-SAM sta approfondendo il legame che intercorre tra i ritmi circadiani e l’attività del SAM avvalendosi degli indizi forniti dai cambiamenti nella regolazione dell’espressione genica. Le nuove informazioni acquisite in relazione ai meccanismi che controllano l’organogenesi delle piante potrebbero trovare importanti applicazioni nell’incentivare la produttività delle colture di interesse.
Obiettivo
Plant growth and organogenesis are coordinated by stem cells located in specialized tissues known as meristems. Virtually all the aerial parts of the plant derive from stem cells located in niches at the shoot apical meristem (SAM), where they process internal and external cues to sustain their function. As cells are continuously produced at SAM, it is essential for plants to precisely regulate the timing of proliferation as development and plant organogenesis occurs over time throughout the life cycle. The circadian clock is the primary timing device that enables an organism to measure the pass of the time to precisely coordinate biological activities with the internal cues and its surrounding environment. Despite the importance of stem cell function, the mechanisms controlling the timing of SAM activity in synchronization with the environment remain essentially unknown. we propose to investigate the role of the circadian clock as a flexible biological metronome orchestrating the SAM activity in plants. The Clock-SAM proposal aims to generate a road-map of clock function, defining circadian similarities and divergences among the different functional states at the SAM and establishing the correlation between the circadian pace of the clock and cell fate and specification. We will follow an ambitious integrative approach combining epigenetic and transcriptional regulatory mechanisms to understand stem cell function. Our studies will thus answer a fundamental question in plant cell biology by determining how the plant is temporally constructed in our rotating world. The results from this proposal will provide a framework that can be tested for regulating plant productivity and survival in different environmental conditions. Hence, in the long term our findings could be applied to crops of agronomical interest.
Campo scientifico
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Meccanismo di finanziamento
MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EFCoordinatore
08193 Cerdanyola Del Valles
Spagna